fostering

[mandimoo]

do you think people who are not parents themselves can make successful foster carers? if the carers have never looked after children, how do they know how to exert any sort of control? specially in the face of an uncooperative child.

[Rosetta]

Some people can't have children so there is no reason to assume that they couldn't parent well.
Some people have loads of children and are still rubbish parents.
Experience is important but not the be all and end all.
Nor is it just about control, there are loads of other qualities needed in fostering

[pinktwink]

yes and too often they make great foster parents as they apppreciate the value of having children. Equally they have made the decision to have children as opposed to it just happening. They attend parent courses and ongoing training. Often it is life experience that equips people better some have been caring for relatives or have had assisted in raising relations. People learn to exert control from having consistent clear boundaries and expectations. ??You dont need to have a child to learn taht

[Mamyalynne]

The hoops you have to jump through to get accepted for fostering are tremendous including CRB checks on any family members likely to come in contact with the children. None of this applies to the majority of us who are allowed to bring children into the world naturally, think about it !

[waterboatman]

The same way that new parents how to do the job.

[4getmenot]

so really from your post thats saying that people without babies cant even become mothers as how would they know how to bring up babies if they havent done it before.

[mandimoo]

is your comment for me 4get? i imagine that people who have had children instinctively learn how to be a parent and your parenting skills grow with as your family ages and you gain experience of different situations. but if you havent had any children you have none of this instinctive skill or experience and all of a sudden there is a fully formed and troubled child with its own will and no real respect for you (yet) and i was wondering how the foster carer would cope with this.

[Kassee]

thats almost like saying do you think people who have never been parents, can make successful parents. You learn everything by experience, you'll get better and better at being a parent, or foster parent.
All children need the same things really, someone to listen, someone to care, somewhere to feel safe and secure and loved. I expect you remember the things that were important to you in your own childhood.
Being a foster parent is very rewarding, there is lots of support, and it can be hard work.